The Incredible Tale of Robin Hood and His Band of Merry Men and Women
by TheSoulMustStandAjar
Summary: There is a legend of a foreign dictator who took over a kingdom in the absence of its great King Richard... Some say it happened in dear old Nottingham, others say in some mystic, ancient kingdom of lore... But who's to say for sure? It's just a legend. Any way, there was a rebellion at work to overthrow the tyrant, led by none other than Robin Hood and a crew of simple folk.


Jafar looked proudly over his court as he lounged in his borrowed throne, with Queen Narissa sitting in the throne to his left, the young prince Arthur to her left, and the older princes Edward and Charles on Jafar's right. He was holding a celebration in the throne room of the palace, simply because he could. He had money to burn since he had raised the taxes..._again. _Most of the kingdom was present, either attending as guests or working for their enjoyment. Currently, everyone was enjoying the delicious food made by a young girl who cooked in the Benbow Inn (the only inn in town). The owner of the inn and another young servant girl were helping to serve the food while their coworker, a young man, played a song and danced for the guests. Everyone was absolutely delighted by the performance. When it was over, there was a modest amount of clapping. The young man took a humble bow, grinning at his female coworkers, who could barely contain their excitement.

"Thank you, young Naveen." Jafar nodded his head in appreciation.

Naveen bowed again. "Thank you, your Majesty. I only live to please."

Jafar grinned a snake-like grin and looked over everyone attending. "I'm sure that, after tasting the young Tiana's delicious food and hearing Naveen's fantastic music, the whole kingdom will take the Benbow Inn into consideration when they are in need of a hot meal or entertainment."

Everyone murmured in affirmation and began to chat excitedly. As the customary band began to play, Naveen approached the serving tables with a grin, unable to contain his pride. Sarah Hawkins, the owner of the inn, and a young servant girl named Alice both clapped and squealed excitedly, crowding Naveen in a group hug. Tiana rolled her eyes as she stood by with her arms crossed. When the hug ended, Naveen looked at Tiana expectantly. She smirked and shrugged.

"I guess you didn't do too bad." She muttered.

Naveen grinned again and pulled her into a hug. She laughed as she hugged him back. She and Naveen had been working the inn with Sarah since they were Alice's age; 15. Growing up and working together made them as close as two people could be. They were basically siblings.

"Hopefully we'll get plenty more business now..." Sarah said, wringing her hands together.

Tiana rolled her eyes again, ever the practical one. "Sarah, we get plenty of business. We're the only place in town that offers hot meals _and _entertainment." She gave Naveen an amused look and he winked at her. She shook her head and playfully pushed him.

"Oh, I wish Jim was here to see this..." Alice sighed, looking sadly over the merriment of the party. Jim was Sarah's 17-year-old son. He and Alice were in love and set to marry this coming summer.

Sarah gripped Alice's dainty hands in her own. "Oh, I do too, dear. Jim and his father."

Jim and his father, Sinbad, were normally two sailors, tradesmen, doing honest work. Currently, it was believed that they'd both been called away to fight in the same war that had beckoned their absent King Richard. But in reality, they hadn't been summoned to fight at all. They were both part of a band of outlaws working to undermine the corrupt Jafar in Richard's name.

Alice looked up at Sarah, her blue eyes wide and hopeful. "But they're both safe...right?"

Sarah smiled. "Oh, of course, dear Alice. If I know either of those men, they're keeping themselves and their whole troop safe, and thinking of us all the while."

Alice nodded, perking up a little. "Yes, I believe so, too." She turned to watch as some folks started to dance as the band played. It just made her miss Jim more; She could imagine dancing with him amidst the sea of Lords and Ladies sweeping by in fine dress.

The doors to the throne room opened and Lady Helga, the Queen's attendent, brushed through the crowd with her head held high. She approached Narissa and whispered something in her ear. Narissa's face lit up and she dismissed Helga, who stepped to the side with the rest of the court. Then Narissa leaned over to Jafar and relayed the information in a hushed tone. Jafar nodded thoughtfully, then silently signaled the band to stop playing. When the music faded away, everyone turned their attention to Jafar.

"It appears that our dear King Richard's three nieces, our consorts to France, will be returning home tomorrow at noon!" Jafar announced jovially. Everyone cheered in response; The return of the beloved Maids had been long awaited. They'd been gone a few months longer than the King. Jafar grinned. "Let's prepare a warm welcome for the young Ladies, hmm?" Everyone cheered again, and Jafar started the band up again and the party resumed.

Alice grinned excitedly as she helped Tiana prepare to serve dessert. "Oh, it's so exciting! I'm so glad the Maids are coming back. They're all so lovely."

"Yeah. Maybe they'll shed a little light on these dark times..." Tiana whispered back, handing Alice a stack of plates. Alice nodded dutifully and began to serve slices of the cake she and Tiana had made.

About an hour later, as the last of the guests were leaving, a young Captain of the Guard named Phoebus had his attention caught by the boisterous and slightly drunk laughter of another guard, Commander Rourke, and one of Jafar's attendents, a man named Radcliffe who helped to collect taxes. When they saw Phoebus looking at them, they decided to involve him in whatever conversation they were having.

"Say, Captain! Perhaps you'd like to join us on our venture into the village?" Radcliffe asked with a jolly tone while Rourke smirked at his side.

"Well, what are you heading in for?" Phoebus asked.

"Oh, we're just going on the look out for some..._entertainment. _" Rourke replied. Radcliffe began to chuckle again and Rourke playfully elbowed him. He grinned at Phoebus. "We did have one establishment in mind, if you're interested..."

Phoebus shrugged. "Sure. I guess it couldn't hurt."

"Swell! Let's head out then!" Radcliffe cheered.

_**XXX**_

"Oh, mother! Why couldn't we go to the party at the palace?" Anastasia Tremaine whined while her sister, Drizella, pouted by her side.

Their mother, Madame Tremaine, sighed and patted Anastasia' s head of bouncy orange curls. "Because we work in a house of ill repute, sweetheart. It would be a very unpopular decision on King Jafar's behalf to host a party with a bunch of whores in attendance."

Anastasia bit her lip on a sob while Drizella shook her head angrily. "It's just not fair, mother!" Drizella insisted for the fifth time that night.

Madame Tremaine scoffed and snapped, "Oh, hush, both of you! Get your minds back to your work! Oh, Anastasia, those crocodile tears of yours have gotten your makeup all smudged. Go fix yourself!" She was flustered because they were supposed to be opening for the night in less than five minutes.

Anastasia whimpered as she jumped up and ran to the washroom. Drizella groaned and stormed away, shutting herself away in her room.

Vanessa, having watched the whole thing, rolled her eyes and thought, _As if either of them will get a client tonight. _They hardly ever did, unless a particularly drunk group of men came in. The only reason why those two were in this place was because they were weak - willed and over dependent on their mother, and they had to make her money somehow. But overall, they were useless. They were the oldest prostitutes here, nearing thirty years of age, and they were definitely the ugliest. Although they hardly partook of the lifestyle, it had definitely hit them the hardest.

Of course, Vanessa supposed that not everyone could do as well as her. She was only 23 years old, but she'd been in this profession since the ripe age of 15. The way she'd learned to survive this place was by not letting the work bring her down and make her feel degraded, but perk her up. She learned quickly to enjoy it, so she wouldn't end up looking like the Tremaines or feeling like a lot of the other girls here. (Depression was common here; There was actually a girl who killed herself a few years back, and another who went insane and had to be incarcerated. Another few girls had run away... Vanessa's younger sister, Megara, was one of them. That was last year, about a month after the King left and was replaced by Jafar. Vanessa had no idea where Megara was now.) Vanessa also taught herself not to care about any of the girls around her, so their sadness wouldn't affect her. The only person she'd ever looked out for was Megara, but then she left and Vanessa was alone. So she kept herself isolated as much as possible from the other girls. The money was also a big encouragement. Vanessa easily earned the most out of anyone here. She was a popular choice for their clients because she wasn't judgmental or squeamish; The men could feel free to do whatever they wanted with her and get the most pleasure they could.

Yes, Vanessa was a seasoned professional, and all while retaining youthful beauty that most girls envied. The other girls... Well, they weren't so bad. Vanessa's biggest competition were a few of the Triton sisters. There were seven in all, all aged a year apart. The youngest one, Ariel, who was just 16, had just started the work a few months ago and wasn't adapting to it quite as quickly or as well as her older sisters had. Vanessa found her skittish demeanor and slowly diminishing innocence annoying. Then there was Jasmine, who could be really successful in the field if she wasn't so hot-headed. She was the one that Madame Tremaine punished the most for angering clients. Jasmine was 18, and an Arabian beauty who was kidnapped from Agrabah and sold into the business. They'd gotten a few girls like that over the years; Some men- not many, but some- had quite the appreciation for foreign girls. They'd just gotten a really pretty Chinese girl named Mulan yesterday. She'd been in really rough shape, and spent the last 24 hours being prepared by Madame Maleficent. She was supposed to get her first customer tonight.

As if on cue, Mulan was ushered into the room by Maleficent. Mulan looked around with heavily - lined eyes, dressed in a fairly authentic kimono. Maleficent seemed proud of her work.

Madame Maleficent was a true enigma. The girls called her the Dragon Lady because she could have quite the fiery temper if someone crossed her. She also wore a headdress of inky black chain mail that resembled scales, from which two tall, twisted horns that were oddly reptilian - looking protruded. She was much younger than Madame Tremaine, who was no less than 50 by Vanessa's guess, but too old to work any more. She'd been in this place since the age of 12; She'd gone through the majority of her life working under Madame Tremaine. She'd experienced how harsh Tremaine could be with the girls; That was why she was so sympathetic to them. The girls found her relatable because she'd already experienced the hell they were going through. Madame Tremaine had never actually been a prostitute. The only reason she'd ever found the brothel was because of a nasty divorce that left her and her daughters homeless and broke, and by that time she was too old for whoring. Tremaine had never actually had to sleep with anyone (except possibly whoever owned the place before it was sold to her).

It was obvious why the girls all preferred Madame Maleficent over Madame Tremaine. Maleficent behaved professionally most of the time; When it came to business, she was cold and calculating. She was a strong woman, calm and level-headed. But, while Tremaine was only concerned with the money they were getting in, Maleficent took care of the girls. She was there whenever they needed her; She listened to their troubles, gave them advice and a modest education, cared for them when they were sick...

It never ceased to amuse Vanessa that Madame Tremaine was a mother, but it was actually Madame Maleficent who was the caregiver.

"Is she ready?" Madame Tremaine asked, adjusting her jacket.

Maleficent nodded. "I did the best I could. But there wasn't much I could do about her various bruises..."

Tremaine waved dismissively. "Oh, no one will care about those. How's her English?"

Maleficent sighed. "Still nonexistent."

"Well... I suppose she's pretty enough. Maybe no one will care. Hopefully she'll get a drunk..."

As if on cue, two tall men, one muscular and one rotund, came stumbling in through the door and laughing disruptively. Tremaine and Maleficent shared a look before Maleficent walked away to the front desk and Tremaine plastered on a smile and approached the two men. As she drew closer to them, she recognized them; They'd both been here a few times before. They were from the palace, one of them was a guard. A second guard, much younger and more attractive, walked in stiffly and hovered in the doorway. Tremaine decided she would get to him in a moment. He was obviously a first-timer. She greeted the first two men with a low curtsy.

"Good evening, Sirs..." She straightened and politely folded her hands in front of her pleated skirts. "And welcome back. How might we assist you this evening?"

"Oh, where's that red-head I had last time?" The heavy - set man asked with a lazy tongue. "I quite liked her..."

Madame Tremaine nodded and turned to where Ariel was braiding one of her sister's hair.

"Ariel! You have a client, dear." Tremaine called in a sugary - sweet tone. Ariel jumped to attention, her wide ocean-colored eyes flashing with terror as they settled on the man. Not wanting to invoke Tremaine's rage, Ariel hurried over. She stopped to stand before her client, greeting him with a timid curtsy.

"Good evening, Lord Radcliffe." She said quietly, keeping her gaze on his feet. "Shall I lead you to my room?"

Radcliffe grinned down at her, his eyes half shut with intoxication. "You shall, girl."

She nodded quickly, then reached out to him and took his hand, leading him down a nearby hall. Madame Tremaine watched until Ariel's door was shut before turning to address the second man.

"And for you, Sir...?"

"Rourke is my name." He stated quite loudly. "I'm looking for something...foreign."

Tremaine perked up at the sound of that. "Oh? Perhaps our Jasmine could..."

"No, no. I've been with her plenty." Rourke shook his head. "Personality's a bit too strong for me..."

Tremaine smiled. "Well, then perhaps I should direct your attention to Mulan..." She gestured toward where the Chinese girl stood, completely clueless. "She just came to us yesterday."

"A new one, hmm?" Rourke asked, walking toward Mulan. He examined her for a moment. She just stared back at him in confusion. He asked Tremaine, "Does that mean she's inexperienced? Has she not been broken yet?"

"Oh, of course she has, Sir. The gentleman who sold her to us told me that she was passed around quite a bit on the journey from China."

"Hmm..." Rourke continued to look over the girl.

"I'm afraid her English skills are poor... Will that be a problem?"

Rourke chuckled and shook his head. "No, Madame. I think she'll do fine. Which room is hers?"

"Down that hall, sir. Third door on the right."

Rourke grinned and wrapped and arm around Mulan's waist, pulling her close. He turned to point toward the third man and told Madame Tremaine, "Be sure to take care of my friend Phoebus, hmm?"

"Actually, I think I'm going to go around the corner, to the inn... See what's happening there..." Phoebus was obviously uncomfortable. He hadn't taken one step away from the doorway.

"Are you certain, Captain? You'll be missing out!" Rourke called to the already disappearing Phoebus.

"That's really fine! I'll be seeing you later!" Phoebus called back as he practically ran away.

Rourke shook his head, then smiled down at Mulan, who squirmed a little under his grip. He led her to the room that Madame Tremaine had directed him to. When the door shut, everyone remained silent, wanting to hear how Mulan would react to her first client. All was still for a few moments. Then, Mulan's voice could be heard chattering nervously in Chinese. There was some shuffling. Mulan's panic rose audibly as her nonsensical shouting could be heard through the walls. The shouting continued, and there was a pounding sound, like footsteps. Mulan was running to the door... It opened slightly, and Mulan's terrified cries, probably calls for help, could be heard clearly. Then the door was slammed shut, probably by Rourke, and there were some crashing sounds. Mulan screamed, and continued to scream and cry. Everyone sat there and listened and watched as Madame Tremaine rushed to lock the door from the outside with a tiny skeleton key. She turned to see Maleficent glaring at her.

"What? She has to get through tonight!" Tremaine hissed.

Maleficent opened her mouth to respond, but stopped herself as Mulan's screams dissipated into sobs. Rourke started to laugh and there was a soft, rhythmic thumping. Madame Tremaine went to silently unlock the door.

_Well, that went better than expected, _Vanessa thought as everyone went back to business as usual.

_**XXX**_

"I hope father comes home soon." 15-year-old Arthur said thoughtfully, picking at a thread in the quilt on Charles' bed. The three brothers were gathered in Charles' quarters, as had become the usual for them before bed. It was the only quality time they ever got nowadays. Ever since Jafar had taken over, a lot of importance had been placed on their schooling, and various sports and hobbies they didn't really care for; Horseback riding, fencing, chess, archery... The princes had very little free time.

Edward, the oldest brother, turned away from the window to smile at the youngest. "We all wish that, Arthur. But these things can't be rushed. Father had to go where he was most needed. And when he's not needed in the Crusade any more, he'll come right back here."

Charles, who was just 18 and still wiser and more intelligent than Edward, didn't feel the need to mention that their father getting killed was a very real possibility. He wanted to pretend that Edward knew this and just didn't want to tell Arthur. Charles acted like he was busy with the scroll he was writing at his desk.

Arthur frowned and tipped his head to one side, obviously unconvinced by Edward's words. "Well, we need him here, too..."

Charles decided to change the subject. "You're excited to see our cousins again, aren't you, Arthur?"

Arthur's face lit up and he nodded vigorously. "Oh, yes! It's been so long since we've seen them last."

Edward laughed. "Well, I'm sure they're glad to be returning. It's been dreadfully cold in France, from what I've heard..."

"Do you think the girls will still be fun? Or are they all proper and ladylike now?" Arthur asked, making a face.

Charles smiled. "I'm sure they're the same lovely cousins we've known and loved all our lives." He gestured toward the door. "Now, both of you get out. It's getting late."

_**XXX**_

"This village needs help." Phoebus sighed, staring down at the stout Sarah had just poured him.

"I'll be sure to relay that information." Sarah said sarcastically. Phoebus turned to look at her, and she gave him a small smile. "Don't you think they know that, Phoebus?"

He nodded and turned back to the counter, taking a long sip of his ale while Sarah began to wipe down tables as Alice was finishing clearing them.

"How's my brother?" Phoebus called over his shoulder, swishing the dark ale around in the mug.

"I'm sure Phillip's fine. Remember the people we're talking about here." Sarah said lightly, continuing to work.

"Hmm." Phoebus hummed and set the mug on the counter, deep in thought.

"You miss him?" Sarah asked.

"Of course I do."

"And Jafar still thinks he's off fighting in the war with Richard?"

"Yes."

"Then he's fine." She stated.

Phoebus smirked gratefully at her before taking another drink. There was a quiet moment as he sat there and drank and Sarah and Alice were shuffling around. Finally, he said, "Two other men from the palace tried to get me into a brothel earlier this evening..."

Alice gave him an alarmed look as she passed him, on her way to the kitchen with a tub of dishes.

"Oh, no! Did you faint?" Sarah teased him. He turned to glare at her, and she was biting her lip to keep from laughing. She leaned against a table and gave him a sympathetic smile. "Sorry."

He sighed and shook his head, clapping the mug down on the counter. He ran a hand over his eyes. "The girls in there... All dead eyed. Bodies like empty husks. It was terrible."

Sarah was quiet for a moment, watching him. Then, she went back to cleaning. "Well, it's a terrible line of work. If I had room on my payroll to hire a few of them, I would, but..." She blinked back a few tears as she heard Naveen and Tiana laughing about something in the kitchen. "The four of us are barely scraping by."

Phoebus said nothing in response. After a moment of watching her work, he turned back to the counter and stared tensely down at his drink. Alice continually passed through the room, collecting dishes without saying a word.

_**XXX**_

Ariel stared blankly through the luke - warm water at her pale feet resting against the bottom of the copper tub. Through the tiny window nearby, faint rays of pale light reached into the room as the sun was starting to rise. She ran her wet hands into her thick hair and they got stuck. She sighed and laid back in the tub so that her apple - red hair was fully submerged. She slowly worked her fingers through the tangles. Baths were not an everyday luxury, so Ariel decided to take her time. It had been a long night with Radcliffe, and she wanted to relax.

She looked placidly up at the ceiling, exhaustion overtaking her. Sleep was elusive these days. Her vision began to blur and she slowly realized that she was slipping further into the water. Soon she was completely enveloped by it, and she closed her eyes, feeling at peace. This was the safest she'd felt in a long time; Somehow she felt like the water kept her hidden from the world. If she could stay here forever, she would...

She could, she realized.

_I could just not come up, _she thought distantly. _I could stay under, drown myself... No one would miss me..._

And it seemed a lot better than trying to continue through life like this; She didn't fit in here any way. Everyone either ignored her or made fun of her.

It was a strange revelation, realizing she could end her life right now, without anyone knowing until it was too late... And it was a strange feeling when she made the decision to do it. Hopefully it would be over quickly; Hopefully it would be like falling asleep. She supposed that she would have to quit holding her breath and allow the water to enter her lungs...

There were some slamming sounds and indistinct murmuring above the water, making Ariel's eyes snap open. She could see Madame Tremaine standing over the tub and glaring down at her. Before she could react, Tremaine's hand burst through the water and gripped Ariel by the hair. Ariel screamed as she was dragged up out of the water and exposed to the cool air. A bunch of the girls were gathered in the doorway, watching. Vanessa was at the forefront. Ariel continued to scream as Madame Tremaine shook her around by her hair, but didn't bother calling for help. No one around would interfere with Tremaine's punishment.

"You selfish little brat! What, you think you have nothing to live for? The only reason you exist is to make me money, you whore!" Madame Tremaine screeched as she shook Ariel. She brought up her other hand and smacked Ariel across the right side of her face, making Ariel cry. Ariel struggled meaninglessly to get her hair free, but Tremaine only gripped tighter and hit Ariel more. A few of the girls flinched each time Tremaine's hand made contact with Ariel's face. One of Tremaine's nails scratched Ariel right by the eye. Ariel was trying to stoop back down into the water to cover her completely exposed body, but Madame Tremaine just kept wrenching her upward to stand for everyone to see. Ariel shook her head and sobbed and repeated, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to them..." Tremaine snarled and forced Ariel turn her face toward the other girls, who were cowering in the door and watching the scene with wide eyes. Only one of Ariel's sisters looked like she felt sad for Ariel. "...for making them see you like this!"

Madame Maleficent pushed through the crowd at the door and glared at Madame Tremaine. "What's going on here? Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" She demanded.

"This whore was trying to drown herself in the tub!" Madame Tremaine shouted, pulling Ariel's hair up far enough that the girl screamed and had to stand on her tiptoes to avoid serious pain. Ariel tried to shake her head, but could barely move. She looked at Maleficent with wild eyes.

"Please, Madame Maleficent, I didn't mean to! Please! I'm sorry!"

"Shut up!" Madame Tremaine shrieked, bringing up her hand to hit Ariel again. Ariel screamed and tried to pull herself away from Tremaine, but Tremaine just gave her head another vicious shake. She prepared to bring her hand down for another slap. "I'll teach you... I'll teach you to-"

"Enough!" Maleficent interrupted, grabbing Tremaine's arm. Tremaine turned to her with a nasty look. Maleficent stared her down evenly. "You unhand that girl. She's had enough. They all have."

Tremaine looked over the girls in the doorway, who all either looked terrified or extremely uncomfortable. She sneered, then turned to glare at the crying girl she still had ahold of. Tremaine scoffed and shoved Ariel back down into the water, pushing her head against the edge of the tub as she released her. Ariel cried out as she crashed against the metal and water splashed everywhere. She hid her face behind the rim of the tub so that none of them could watch her cry any more, could see the marks that Madame Tremaine had left. Maleficent watched her shoulders shake as she sobbed. Tremaine stormed toward the door.

"All of you to bed! Now!" She ordered shrilly. As all the girls scurried away, Tremaine turned back to Maleficent. She gave Ariel one last disgusted look before telling Maleficent, "We're not going to lose any more girls to their selfishness, Maleficent. She's only allowed to die if I give her my permission." She turned sharply away and stormed off out the door.

Maleficent quickly shut the door after her, then turned to the crumpled girl in the bathtub. She slowly approached the tub and knelt beside it, ignoring the puddle of water that soaked her skirts. She carefully reached over and pet Ariel's hair. Ariel flinched and whimpered. Maleficent made soft shushing sounds and Ariel looked up at her, obviously surprised. She'd never really seen the soft side of Maleficent before. Maleficent gave her a brief, barely - there smile and reached for a nearby rag. She dipped the rag in the tub water and gently wiped at Ariel's tear-stained cheeks. Her lips were pursed, about to formulate a question. Ariel waited to hear something like, "How could you do this?", or, "What the hell were you thinking?"

Instead, Maleficent asked, "Why are you here, Ariel?"

Ariel blinked. "What?"

Maleficent fetched a comb from a nearby cabinet and had Ariel turn in the tub so that her back was to her. As she raked the comb through the gnarled mess of Ariel's hair, she clarified her question. "Why are you working here? Hmm? What brings a girl as young and beautiful as you to a brothel?"

The question confused Ariel in a few ways. She could only assume that any of her six older sisters would have told Maleficent by now, so the obvious answer would be, "I'm here for the same reason my sisters are". And also, why would Ariel's beauty matter? All of her sisters were beautiful... Most of the girls here were beautiful. Even Maleficent herself was beautiful, though she didn't really seem to consider herself as such. Her facial structure was all sharp lines and drastic angles, and her features were delicate and graceful, undoubtedly attractive. Her skin was eerily pale and she had black hair always hidden by her head dress; Her eyes were green like oak leaves, and always glimmered with intrigue as they observed all around them. And she always kept her eyes painted dramatically so that they stood out; Her eyes were the first thing anyone ever noticed about her, right before her perfect set of ruby red lips. She was indeed a very beautiful woman, more beautiful than Ariel could ever hope to be...

Ariel took a moment to think the question over. Maleficent waited patiently as she worked through the tangles in Ariel's hair.

"Father didn't have any money." Ariel finally whispered. "My oldest sister volunteered to come here. Madame Tremaine liked her so much that she requested that more of us come... Eventually, he just sent us all. I begged him not to make me come, but he forced me, saying that it was the only way he could have money... He said we were helping him survive. Madame Tremaine sends him a bag every week with half of each of our earnings."

"She keeps the other half for herself." Maleficent assumed quietly.

Ariel nodded. "Yes... My oldest sister keeps trying to get her to send him more of our money, but she refuses... But daddy's very old and sick. He can't work. It's just him all by himself in the old house..." Ariel began to cry again, letting the tears fall into the bath water. Maleficent made soft, soothing sounds as she finished brushing Ariel's hair. Then, she set the brush aside and placed her hands on Ariel's shoulders. "Turn around, dear." She whispered.

Ariel sniffle as she turned to face Maleficent, keeping her knees pressed to her chest. Maleficent scooped some water up in her hands and rubbed them over Ariel's hot cheeks.

"I can't understand the kind of man who would thrust his daughters into this world and risk their survival simply to try and bolster his own..." Maleficent shook her head with a solemn look. "In times like that, what you need is family, not money." She stroked a bit of Ariel's hair. "If I had seven beautiful daughters like you, let alone one, I would keep them with me til my dying day; Hold them and never let them go. Keep them _safe. _But..." She shrugged and patted Ariel's shivering shoulder. "...times are very hard right now. People are desperate. And even though his decision was selfish and he's putting you through Hell on Earth...he's your father. And you love him."

Ariel nodded. "Yes, Madame. I do."

Maleficent cupped Ariel's face in both of her slim, finely - manicured hands. "Then, my dear, you have to give him all you've got. Keep your chin up, keep doing well with your work, and for Heaven's sakes, don't let that old bat catch you in the tub again."

Ariel gave her a shaky smile. "Yes, Madame."

Maleficent stood up and picked up the shabby cotton nightgown Ariel had brought in with her. She motioned for Ariel to come out of the tub. Ariel slowly stood up and stepped out of the tub, then took small, shy steps toward Maleficent. Maleficent gave her another brief smile and said, "Arms up." Ariel did as she was told, sticking her thin arms up above her head. Maleficent pulled the nightgown down over her, ensuring that her arms went through the sleeves. As the skirt of the thin gown floated around her legs, Ariel felt a sense of relief at being clothed again. She pulled her hair out of the gown and let it flow down her back. Maleficent placed a hand on her shoulder and motioned toward the door. "Now, go head to your room, say your prayers, and get some sleep, child."

"Yes, Madame. And...thank you." Ariel quickly headed out the door and down the hall to her room. She flung the door open and fell to her knees by her bed, folding her hands on the edge of her mattress and bowing her head. But she found that she couldn't think of what to pray for; The words simply wouldn't come.

"Don't even bother saying your prayers." A disgusted voice spat at her from the doorway. She looked up to see Anastasia and Drizella watching her from the hall and sneering. Drizella, who was the one who spoke before, continued on, "God doesn't have ears for those who try to throw away the life he was kind enough to give them."

"Leave her alone!" Someone snapped from behind the sisters. They turned to see Jasmine glaring up at them. (Jasmine was very petite and both of the sisters were tall and lanky.) Anastasia and Drizella turned their noses up in the air and strutted away to their rooms, not willing to exchange words with the Arabian girl. Jasmine gave Ariel a tiny smile and reached in to shut Ariel's door.

"Ignore them. Whatever was happening in that bath is your own business. No matter what anyone here says to you, just remember that it's your life and you can do what you want with it."

Ariel was surprised by Jasmine's passionate words. It was the most she'd ever heard Jasmine say before. She nodded gratefully and returned Jasmine's smile. "Thank you."

Jasmine nodded and began to shut the door, but Ariel spoke up again, stopping her.

"Jasmine, wait. I'm sorry, but... What do you suppose I should pray for?"

Jasmine thought it over carefully for a moment, then smiled weakly at Ariel. "I suppose you should just pray for things to get better soon."

Ariel raised her eyebrows. "So...pray for a miracle?"

Jasmine laughed hollowly."Yes..." She pulled the door shut and Ariel was left alone.

Ariel thought it over for a long time. Then, she clasped her hands together and bowed her head again with new focus. "Please send us an angel... Someone to help us, and make things better. Please...send us a hero. We need one."

_**XXX**_

"I think we've been pushing it, Robin."

Robin Hood looked up at his friend, an older man named Sinbad, with his eyebrows stretched up. "Pushing it? Ha! We've barely begun."

Sinbad rolled his eyes and stepped away from where he'd been leaning against a tree with his arms crossed sternly over his chest. He began to pace around the river bed where he, Robin and a few others were watching the sun rise and awaiting breakfast. Jim, Sinbad's son, looked up at his father in amusement and said, "Honestly, dad, we've been at this for a year and have barely made a dent in Jafar's tyranny. Taxes are getting worse by the day. There's going to be a lot more robbing to do."

Sinbad sent Jim a look. "You aren't helpful."

Phillip laughed. "Sinbad, where is it that Jim gets his sense of adventure from?"

Now Sinbad glared at Phillip while Jim laughed. "Oh, don't make his ego any bigger than it already is!"

"Hey!" Jim cried in indignation. Sinbad smirked at him. Then he turned to Robin more seriously and said, "But Robin, this whole '_Robbing the rich and giving to the poor_ ' thing? How's it really working out? There aren't actually a lot of rich people in the village to steal from. What we've done so far has barely helped anything, and if we keep going we'll end up stealing from royalty, which would get us executed! Shouldn't we stop and think of a better way to help the kingdom without getting ourselves killed? Some of us have families to think about." Sinbad crossed his arms again.

"He's got a point, Rob..." Little John, who definitely wasn't little at all, said in Sinbad's defense.

"Well, most of us don't have family at all." Flynn Rider, a notorious theif, cut in. He was referring to himself as well as the majority of their band.

"And some of us have very little family, but they're right here with us." Quasimodo, Robin's deformed younger brother, cut in. Robin nodded at him with a smirk.

"Robin! Robin!" A frantic young man's voice made them all turn toward the direction of camp. Robin's youngest brother, Peter, was running toward them excitedly.

Robin laughed. "What is it, Peter Pan?"

Peter blushed at his foolish childhood nickname that Robin had given him due to his knack for playing the pan flute. After a moment of hesitation, Peter grinned and announced, "Merida's here! In the clearing!"

Robin smiled in a response and jumped up, leading everyone in a jog to the clearing that Peter had indicated. It was a remote spot, tucked away past a winding, treacherous path through thick, maze - like forest. It was the predetermined meeting place the band had in case anything happened to their camp. You had to be a seasoned traveller to get to it, well-versed in the ways of the forest, intuitive and crafty and an expert navigator... Like Robin's one and only sister, Merida, whom he hadn't seen since she was a baby, when she'd been sent away to Scotland to live with their father and his second wife, Eleanor. As they approached the clearing, they spotted her standing there next to a massive horse loaded down with supplies, wearing a dark blue cloak with the hood pulled over her head. The men unleashed a chorus of wild rooster calls to alert her of their presence. When she heard them, she turned to see them running toward her and she grinned, pulling off her hood.

_Well, her hair has definitely changed, _Robin thought in amusement, grinning at the sight of his baby sister. Taking off her hood had let loose a wild mass of curls the color of hellfire.

He was the first of the three brothers to reach her and he immediately wrapped his arms around her and swooped her up in the air. She giggled happily as she soared above the ground and was brought back down into a warm hug from her oldest brother.

"Well, you've grown, haven't you?" Robin remarked as he put her back on the ground. He stepped back to look her over. She was average height for a girl her age (14), and she was lean and strong, with light curves. She wore a simple blue dress that matched her cloak, made of a thick and protective material, with a skirt that flowed enough around her legs so she could move easily. He nodded, as if deciding something. "Yes, I'll suppose you'll do."

She laughed and shoved him. "Hush, you!"

He was shocked by her Scottish accent. "What the hell is that?"

She made a face. "Is it vile?"

"Well... I suppose we'll be able to stand it. Still, you should have warned us in your letters..." He joked. She smiled in response.

"Merida!" Peter cheered as he tackled her. She let out a wild cackle as they began to wrestle. Peter was unpleasantly surprised by how easily she overpowered him. Within minutes, he was shouting, "I surrender, I surrender!" Merida cheered proudly as she released him. They both stood up. Peter pouted at her as they shook hands. "A hollow victory..." He told her, seeming disappointed. "Picking on a weakling like me..."

Merida scoffed and picked up one of his arms. "A weakling?"

Peter was a lanky kid; He was taller than Merida by about a foot, and he was lean and wiry. But he definitely wasn't weak. His lightly toned arm that Merida was inspecting was evidence of that.

Peter grinned and shook his wild red hair about. "Well, I guess I'm not that weak. I bet I'm still faster than you, though!"

Merida winked. "We'll see about that later."

"Merida?"

It got quiet as Merida laid eyes on Quasimodo. Robin held his breath. He'd explained Quasimodo's looks to her through writing before, but there were really no words that could describe their deformed brother; Merida had to see him to understand. She hadn't seen him a lot when they all lived together; She'd been a baby and Quasimodo was always kept separated from the rest of them. Of course, she'd barely remembered him. Right now, she was basically seeing him for the first time. Robin could tell that she was doing her best to disguise her reaction. And honestly, her best was more than enough. She smiled easily at Quasimodo and ran over to hug him.

"Hey, Quasi." She whispered, laughing softly.

Quasimodo grinned, obviously pleased that his baby sister didn't think he was a horrible monster; That she hadn't run away or screamed at the sight of him, that she wasn't afraid to touch him. It was reassuring to know that she loved all of her brothers equally, no matter what.

Robin cleared his throat. "Uh, Merida? You've got a lot of other people to meet today."

Merida laughed and pulled away from Quasimodo, seeming to notice the others for the first time. "Sorry... Who are these jokers?"

A tall brown-haired man with a short red cloak and matching cap raised his hand in greeting. "I'm Phillip."

Merida nodded. "The one who used to be a guard at the palace? And your brother's still there; He's our inside man."

Phillip was impressed. "Good memory, miss."

She smiled proudly. "I'm aware."

Everyone laughed.

Next, a big burly man with a pleasant face said, "Name's Little John."

Merida raised an eyebrow. "_Little? _"

He laughed heartily. "Compared to most men in my family, yes."

Flynn waved nonchalantly. "Flynn Rider."

Merida's eyes flashed with some unrecognizable emotion, but she just smiled shortly at him and nodded. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Rider."

He nodded silently in response.

"I'm Sinbad Hawkins, and this is my son, Jim." Sinbad cut in, gesturing to himself and Jim in turn.

Merida smiled at them. "Glad to know my family isn't the only dysfunctional one around."

Another round of laughs. Robin lifted his arms jovially. "Shall we head to camp?" Everyone cheered in response and began to walk.

"I'll get your horse!" Peter called to Merida as she was being led to the camp by the others. She nodded in affirmation and he retrieved the animal. He hesitated for a moment because the horse's size kind of intimidated him. He'd never seen a living thing so big in his whole life. He firmly gripped the horse's reins and steered it along, leading it after the others.

As they drew closer to the camp, Merida heard laughter and smelled meat roasting over a fire. She hummed contentedly and skipped ahead of the men, eager to get settled into her own tent. Robin laughed quietly to himself as he watched her. Of course, living with their father in the wild and mysterious land of the Scotts hadn't killed her natural fiery spirit. For a while, Robin had been worried that their stepmother would be trying to smother it and turn Merida into a proper young lady. Thankfully, she'd failed, and been forced to send Merida to be in Robin's "care". Robin's father was blissfully ignorant of Robin's activity in this last year; Wanted posters only traveled so far.

"Is breakfast about ready?" Robin called to the group that was gathered around the fire. They all looked up and grinned when they saw Merida.

"Is this the sister we've been hearing so much about?" A tall, curvy woman with curly black hair, emerald eyes and caramel - colored skin asked, standing up to greet Merida. She reached out hugged the young girl. "I'm Esmeralda. Welcome! We've been so excited to meet you." She pulled away and led Merida toward the campfire. "Let me introduce you. Everyone, look! It's Robin's little sister!"

"Shouldn't we be the ones introducing her?" Peter asked as he tied Merida's horse nearby.

Quasimodo laughed. "Well, you know Esme."

"I'm Merida. It's nice to meet you all." Merida was saying as she smiled at everyone.

"Well, everyone go ahead and introduce yourselves." Esmeralda said as she went back to cooking breakfast.

"Have a seat." An Arabian young man with shaggy black hair patted the empty spot next to him on the overturned tree that they were using as a bench. Merida sat next to him and he shook her hand. "I'm Aladdin. Welcome to the team." He smiled genuinely.

Merida laughed. "Thanks for having me." She looked at everyone else. "And who are you all?"

A tall, statuesque woman with long, sleek black hair and richly colored skin spoke from across the way. "I am Pocahontas."

"She's the best navigator we have!" Robin announced proudly.

A woman next to Pocahontas raised her hand. He skin was slightly darker than Pocahontas's, but her hair was white like pure, untouched snow, and choppily cut and styled. Her eyes were pale blue, and she had tribal - looking tattoos on her face and around her bare shoulders and arms done in translucent, silvery ink. She was the most interesting looking person Merida had ever seen.

"My name is Kidagakash."

"Uh..."

Kidagakash laughed. "But everyone calls me Kida."

"Oh, thank God."

Everyone laughed. Next, an incredibly handsome man gave her a friendly smile and said with a soft German accent, "My name is Ferdinand."

Merida nodded, smiling back. "Nice to meet you." She turned to a tall man with wildly long hair and asked, "And you are...?"

"Tarzan doesn't speak much." Robin cut in, nodding toward the man. "He's more the strong, silent type."

Tarzan nodded gratefully.

"Oh, alright then..." She turned to a scrawny Indian boy, around her age. "How about you?"

He spoke with a strong Indian accent. "I am Mowgli."

"Mowgli's not 14 yet; He probably shouldn't even be here, but he's fearless and light on his feet." Robin explained.

"And it's better than enslavement." Aladdin said bitterly. Merida looked at him in surprise, and was going to ask what he meant when she saw Robin signal her. He gave her a look as if to say, _We'll talk later. _She nodded and let the conversation move forward.

A short, squat, balding man in a brown robe waved at her. "My name is Friar Tuck."

"Oh, don't worry yourself with him. You won't be seeing him much. He's too busy running the church." Robin teased the older man.

Merida laughed. "Well, regardless of how much we'll be seeing each other, it's very good to know you, Friar Tuck."

The Friar grinned at Robin. "I already like her more than you."

Robin rolled his eyes. "Just wait till you get to know her..."

"Shut it, Rob!" Merida admonished him, making everyone laugh again.

"Meg? Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" Esmeralda asked a slim young woman with long curls of brown hair held up in a ponytail. Meg looked over at Merida and pushed her thick bangs away from her face to reveal her purple eyes. Merida nearly gasped.

"The name's Megara. But everyone here calls me Meg." She gestured toward the man who stood protectively behind her with his arms crossed. He had long waves of honey - colored hair tamed in a low ponytail, and his eyes were the color of the sea after a storm. He was remarkably tall- probably the tallest one here- and lean, but broad-shouldered and muscular. He was very attractive, but also intimidating and stern. "This is my brother, Adam," Meg said, "and he's not as mean as he looks."

Merida chuckled and nodded at him. "Good to know."

"Esmeralda, is your brother not awake yet?" Robin asked with a sigh.

She rolled her eyes over to him. "Of course not. And he probably won't be for awhile. He was out late patrolling last night."

"Well, I suppose Merida can meet Clopin later..." Robin turned to Merida. "So what do you think so far?"

Merida grinned. "This place if perfect."

Robin nodded, obviously pleased. "Well, I'm glad you think so."

"You'll fit in perfectly here." Esmeralda assured Merida. Then she addressed everyone, "Time to eat!"

There were cheers all around and everyone began to serve themselves, digging into the pig that had been roasting. They all sat in a circle and chatted and joked as they ate together. Merida grinned as she looked around at all these cheerful people, deep in conversation and laughing and enjoying each other's company. She hadn't been expecting this from a band of outlaws, but she supposed she should have since Robin was the one leading them. Of course he would gather the kindest, simplest folk in the land to preserve King Richard's reign and help the poor. These were all good, honest people; Not the gang of cutthroats and outlaws she'd been expecting. Then again, Merida was never one to believe that everything was as it seemed. They were probably all just on their best behavior because it was her first day. Merida was sure that sooner or later she would see all of their worst sides.

Esmeralda slapped Little John's hand as he reached for yet another hearty helping. "No more for you! You don't need a fourth serving, believe me." She poked his gut with a smirk. "Besides, we have to save some for my lazy brother."

Little John let out a booming laugh. "Well, that scrawny little thing could use some meat on his bones!"

Everyone laughed at this. Merida grinned at how they could say the meanest, most mocking things to each other and still come off as good-natured. Did anyone here ever get offended? Eyeing the grisly weapon supply nearby, Merida hoped she'd never have to witness what any of them would do if they did get offended.

Robin grinned as he handed Mowgli his hunting knife that had been used to carve the pig. "Clean this for me, young man." Mowgli nodded and took the knife before disappearing into the trees, probably headed to the river. Robin turned to Merida and said, "Let's take a walk, dear sister."

She nodded excitedly and jumped up from her seat. Seeing that Robin was armed with his characteristic bow and quiver of arrows slung across his back, she ran to her horse and retrieved her own bow and arrows before joining him at the treeline. He grinned at the sight of the weapons and led her into the forest.

"You'll want to keep those with you at all times, I'm afraid. We don't get many intruders through this neck of the woods; The poorer folk all know this is our territory and are too scared to travel through here, and the rich and royal wouldn't be caught dead in the forest. Still, we've had a run-in or two with traveling groups of bandits and thugs..." Robin told her.

"Why are the poor folks afraid to travel here if we're helping them?" Merida asked, frowning.

"They don't know our intentions just yet. We're just a local legend, as far as anyone knows. But, that's going to change very soon. The public will soon learn the truth, and the Royals will finally be clued in. Which means that soon we'll have troops of guards roaming through here looking for us..."

Merida smirked. "Seems like I got here just in time."

Robin chuckled as he looked around the trees. "Yes, it seems that way..."

Merida looked up at him for a moment. She was walking cautiously with her bow at the ready, an arrow loaded, while Robin left his sitting over his shoulder and walked casually and with confidence, like he owned the forest and had nothing to fear from potential attackers. At first, Merida felt foolish and inexperienced. Then she realized that Robin had been at this a lot longer than she had and made herself relax. She kept her weapons ready though, and tried to look casual as she surveyed the forest. After a while of walking in peace and quiet, letting the golden sun stream down on them through the trees, Merida finally turned to him and asked, "What did Aladdin mean before? About enslavement?"

Robin looked warily at her as they continued to walk. Then he turned to look solemnly ahead of them. "Jafar has turned the palace into a dark place... A lot of people have been brought over from distant lands to...work. Whether at the palace or in certain _establishments _in the village, many poor souls have been sold into a life of imprisonment and drudgery. But there are a good many who have escaped, and are either with us now or have been lucky enough to find work with some of our business-owning allies. Or... Well, most folks can't afford to be as merciful as us...they just end up on the streets. That's where I found Aladdin."

Merida looked down at her feet. "Oh..." She felt sorry for Aladdin now. He seemed so cheerful and friendly, without a care in the world. She'd never have known that he'd been through that pain if Robin hadn't told her.

"Don't pity him, sister. He can't stand that. He still believes that he's a street rat at heart, and thinks that he'll just end up there again when this is all over, no matter how much I assure him that we'll find him good work on Richard's return. Once you're a part of that life, it's ingrained in you... It's hard to escape that mentality. We do our best not to remind him of it."

Merida nodded thoughtfully. After a quiet moment, she asked, "Who else in camp has escaped?"

Robin politely ignored her. Merida waited for awhile, but he didn't respond.

"Robin?" She asked again.

He stopped walking and she stopped too. They turned toward each other and Robin gave her a serious look.

"We don't pry into each other's former lives in this band, Merida. Whatever any of us had to do to survive before stopped mattering when we found each other. Now no personal information is available to anyone unless we want it to be." He explained. "We're a family, and families love each other no matter what. That's why we don't feel the need to know each other's short-comings. You understand?"

"So...you don't know anything about the people who work with you? How can you trust any of them?"

Robin laughed. "Oh, I know them, Merida. I'm the only person who knows everything about every single one of them. I'm the only person they have to explain themselves to. And they all know that I know, and seeing that I'm not threatened by anyone there let's them know not to be as well. Quite simple, really."

"But they could just lie to you."

He gave her a stern look. "No one lies to me. No one lies to anyone in our camp."

"Fair enough... But, if no one's information is shared when they don't want it to be, why did you tell me about Aladdin?"

Robin smirked. "Aladdin is one of the few who isn't afraid to tell his tale. You would have found out any way. Besides, now you won't make any ignorant assumptions if it comes up again in conversation. Also, you know now that there are a few people in the camp like Aladdin, and you'll refrain from making a fool of yourself in front of them. Won't you?" He started to walk again.

Feeling slightly ashamed, Merida quickly fell in step beside him. "I suppose so..."

Robin chuckled. "Don't feel badly, little sister. You know, despite all my teasing, I'm very glad you're here. I never imagined that the four of us would ever be reunited. And considering the circumstances-"

"I'm glad I'm here too, Robin." Merida cut into the impending rant and smiled at him. "There's nowhere I'd rather be."

_**XXX**_

"Is lunch nearly ready?" Lady Grimhilde asked the servant girls impatiently. She'd been badgering them about it for the last hour, stressed because Richard's nieces would be arriving soon and everything had to be perfect for their long-awaited return home.

Repunzel, a petite girl with short, choppy blond hair, replied politely, "Just a few more moments, my Lady. We're making sure everything is absolutely without flaw."

"Well, do it quicker! The Maids will be here any moment!" Grimhilde snapped before rushing back out the door.

Repunzel sighed and began to work faster. Wendy, a younger servant girl with curly brown hair and who acted much more maturely than her age would deem necessary, laughed and said, "I see you're still her favorite to boss around."

Repunzel gave Wendy a half-hearted smile and kept working. Wendy started to feel bad about what she'd said. Grimhilde always picked on the prettiest girls out of jealousy; She went out of her way to make them miserable and would even punish them in ways that disfigured them. It was rumored that there was once a servant girl so beautiful that it enraged Grimhilde and she cut the girl's face with a shard of glass when the girl managed to break a mirror. Of course, this was just a rumor. No one who worked here ever recalled an incident like that. And Repunzel herself once had the longest shroud of golden hair. People used to ask her about it all the time, and she told them that she hadn't had a haircut since she was born; Her sickly mother back home loved Repunzel's hair too much to cut it, so they never did. Grimhilde was so envious of Repunzel's beautiful hair and all the attention it was getting that one day, when Repunzel accidentally spilled something in the throne room, she didn't hesitate to snatch the young girl by the hair and chop it off. It had been a few months since then, but Repunzel was forced to keep her hair short.

It actually made Wendy glad that she was more mousy and plain - looking than the other servants.

A tall, stocky young man with shaggy blonde hair and big brown eyes wandered into the kitchen, grinning as he approached Repunzel while her back was turned to him. Wendy was watching him and he winked at her, making her smile. He snuck up quietly and placed his hands over Repunzel's eyes. She stopped working immediately and grinned as she heard the man say, "Guess who?"

She moved his hands away and turned around to hug him. He laughed and twirled her around. She giggled and looked up at him with glittering green eyes.

"Kristoff, you know they'll throw a fit if they catch you in here." She said in amusement as he put her back on the ground. "Aren't you supposed to be in the stables?"

"Well, excuse me for visiting the love of my life." Kristoff joked as he leaned down and kissed her. Wendy giggled at how adorable they were. Kristoff pulled away and started heading toward the back exit. "I'm on my way there now. Don't you worry your pretty little head." He saluted as he left.

Repunzel shook her head and got back to work, but she was still smiling.

Wendy laughed and asked, "When will you two get married already?"

Repunzel scoffed. "You try to scrape together the money for a proper wedding. Besides, you know that it's frowned upon for servants within the same household to be..._involved._"

Wendy shrugged. "Well, if two people as sweet and innocent as you and Kristoff being in love is wrong, I don't want to know what's right."

Repunzel laughed at this. Then there was the sound of trumpets blasting outside the front of the castle, and a man's voice could be heard throughout the palace as he ran around announcing, "The Maids are here! The Maids are here!" Wendy looked longingly out the door and Repunzel smiled at her.

"I can finish this myself. Why don't you go greet the Ladies on my behalf?" Repunzel told her.

Wendy grinned and gave her a quick hug before rushing outside through the back and sneaking around to the courtyard, where a grand carriage was pulling up. She silently stood at the back of the crowd and watched in awe as the carriage came to a gentle stop. Then the driver hopped down from his seat and walked around to the side to open the door. After it was opened, he helped each of the young Maids out of the carriage.

The first was the youngest, Eilonwy. While still beautiful, she was the shortest and plainest-looking of the three sisters. She always wore modest, simple gowns, and still had the figure of a child; Lack of curves, wide eyes, rounded cheeks, much like Wendy. Eilonwy was only 13 years old; Old enough to marry, but all the young gentlemen were too interested in her sisters for her to get any suitors. She wasn't bitter about this though. She intended to remain a child as long as she could. Her long blonde hair swished about her waist as she turned to smile at the court.

Then came Snow White, who made everyone gasp when they saw her. She was only a year older than Eilonwy, but she was about half a foot taller, and still slim but with light curves. She was very pale, her skin white as snow, but her cheeks were rosy and her lips red as blood. Her ebony hair was surprisingly short, kept in tame curls and held by a red ribbon. Her big brown eyes shone with unbridled joy as she looked upon the palace and giggled.

Finally, there was the oldest sister, Aurora. She was sixteen, but she didn't look it. She was tall and regal, her body lean but much more..._mature_...than either of her sisters. Her violet - colored eyes and long, golden curls of hair and lips that resembled rose petals were definitely attention-grabbing. She was the sister who most men favored, much to her dismay. Aurora lived by the foolish notion that even a royal should marry for love, not for convenience. She was very much the hopeless romantic. She smiled sweetly at the court as she stood before them. Then the three girls stood in a line and gave the crowd a little curtsy in unison, humbly bowing their heads. Everyone returned the gesture with their own curtsy or bow, then cleared the path so the girls could greet Jafar, who stood at the palace doors proudly with Narissa. The crowd turned to watch the three sisters approach the king and queen and curtsy before them.

"Rise, dear nieces." Narissa addressed them. The three girls obediently stood up straight and proud. Narissa smiled down at them, but the smile didn't seem genuine. "It is good to have you back. How are the good Lord Stephen and Lady Leah?"

"Our dear parents are doing wonderfully, thank you." Aurora responded with a slight nod.

Narissa gestured toward Jafar. "Ladies, this is the great man who is filling your uncle's shoes so beautifully. Meet Lord Jafar."

The three girls bowed their heads dutifully and said in unison, "Our Lord."

He nodded and chuckled. "Enough with the formalities, girls. We're practically family, after all."

The girls looked up at him, but said nothing. The only one who showed that she was even slightly uncomfortable was Eilonwy, who frowned but quickly corrected herself.

Jafar grinned a snake - like grin and said, "Welcome home, Ladies. There will be quite a feast in your honors tonight. Until then, take some time to rest. Your quarters have all been prepared for you. But first, lunch..." He frowned at something behind the girls. "And, um...who are they?"

The girls turned to smile at the three young nurses who had followed them out of the carriage. Aurora laughed and motioned for the girls to come stand with them. She introduced them to Jafar, gesturing to each girl in turn.

"Lord Jafar, these are our nurses and tutors from France. Meet Cinderella..."

The first girl, a beautiful blond in a simple blue frock who was attending Snow White, curtsied and bowed her head.

"Giselle..."

A girl with red hair and a big smile who stood by Eilonwy copied Cinderella's greeting.

"And my nurse, Belle." Aurora grinned as the brunette next to her did her own curtsy.

Jafar nodded, then said, "Well, if I had known that you were bringing your own nurses, I wouldn't have put them back on the job..." He gestured toward three older women who waved happily at the girls. Aurora grinned back at them; They were the girls' childhood nurses, Flora, Fauna and Merriweather. They'd practically raised them.

"But, since you won't be needing them, I suppose I'll just dismiss them..." Jafar continued.

Aurora opened her mouth to protest, but realized that it would be improper and unwise. Sensing her dilemma, Belle was the one to speak up in her soothing French accent.

"Pardon me, my Lord, but we three young women are less experienced than those three kind nurses are... We could use a guiding hand."

"Yes, and all the help we can get with these girls when they get rowdy." Giselle joked, winking at Eilonwy, who giggled in response.

Jafar thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I suppose that will do. The older nurses will lead the, uh, _six _of you to your rooms then. We weren't accounting for the extra guests, so you young Maids will share space accordingly with your nurses."

Aurora nodded. "That will do very well, my Lord."

Jafar addressed the entire courtyard, "Now, everyone off! Off to prepare for tonight's feast!"

As the crowd dispersed, Wendy took that as her cue to run back to the kitchen.

_**XXX**_

"Robin! Robin, guess who's coming to the castle today!" Esmeralda called to him as he and Merida were returning from their walk. They'd shot and killed a few squirrels while they were out, and handed them to Little John, who wrinkled his nose as he carried them away.

"Who?" Robin asked, humoring her.

"King Richard's neices!" Esmeralda cried excitedly.

Robin's face lit up. Then, he frowned. "And where did you hear this?"

She turned shyly to Kida, bringing everyone's attention to her. She sighed, running a hand through her wild white hair.

"Naveen snuck over last night and told me... Phoebus was telling Sarah in the inn." Kida explained.

Adam scoffed. "Doesn't he know that if someone follows him, we could all be caught?"

"And probably killed." Meg droned.

Kida blushed and looked shamefully down at her feet. Robin smirked. He knew that Kida and Naveen quite fancied each other; He was the only outsider who knew the camp's location because he'd been lost in the woods and met Kida by chance and she'd brought him here when he asked for help. Now he snuck over as often as he could to meet with her in the safety of the dense forest.

"Oh, nevermind that. No one's really looking for us just yet." Robin said casually, waving away the snide comments. Adam angrily crossed his arms while Meg rolled her eyes.

"Tonight the palace is hosting a feast to welcome the girls back." Esmeralda added, catching Robin's attention again.

He raised his eyebrows, obviously intrigued. "Really?" He reached up a hand to stroke his scruffy face in thought. "Hmm... I suppose they wouldn't be expecting us, correct?"

Esmeralda grinned. "No, I really doubt they would be, Rob."

"Think carefully about this, Robin. Crashing a royal party is a sure way to get ourselves sent to the noose." Little John cut in in a warning tone.

Robin laughed. "Oh, nevermind that. They'd have to catch us first, wouldn't they?" He turned to address the whole camp. "What do you all think? Shall we stay in tonight, or shall we drop in at Jafar's feast. Seems like a perfect way to introduce ourselves, don't you think?"

Everyone cheered uproariously in response.

Robin cheered and nodded. "That's settled, then. Make sure you all dress your best."

While the others laughed and went about their business, Esmeralda approached Robin and asked, "Are you excited?"

"Of course I am, Esme." Robin responded with a smirk. "I've been longing to meet Jafar face-to-face."

Esmeralda laughed. "But isn't there someone else you've been longing to see for the last two years?" She playfully poked him.

Merida frowned up at her brother. "Who's she talking about, Robin?"

He smirked at her and patted her shoulder. "All in good time, dear sister. All in good time..." He sent Esmeralda a quick wink and walked away.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**This story is just another fun idea that popped into me head recently (there have been a lot of those), and will not be a top priority. It will take more precedence once my Disney High story is finished, same for any other stories I may begin in the meantime. Thank you for reading.**

**If you have any questions about this story, feel free to ask! I know there are probably a few things that need some clarification...**


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